What We Know About “Ghost Rider”

By William Goodeve

I studied cinema and economics at USC/USF. I had several jobs and internships in Entertainment. I have done work at a Production Company, a Literary agency, and been a Production Assistant in California. Also I have worked in theaters and theme parks. In this article I will discuss the Ghost Rider franchise and also the new MCU “Ghost Rider” film

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics was founded in 1939. They had a popular Golden Age Super hero named Captain America. Stan Lee started making comics in 1939, but later made more superhero teams such as “The Fantastic Four”, “The X-Men”, and “The Avengers” during the silver age. They also made many new superhero comics around then such as “The Amazing Spider-Man”.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The MCU began in 2008 with “Iron Man” starring Robert Downey Jr. The first wave of their films led to “The Avengers”. In Phase 3 there was “Avengers: Age of Ultron”. Also in Phase 3, “There was avengers infinity war” and “Endgame”. Kevin Feige is the main producer for these films. Personally I like the older Marvel films with “X-Men” and “Spider-man” the best. Those seemed more original. Another upcoming MCU film is “Avengers Doomsday”.

Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider was a motorcyclist named Johnny Blaze. He gave his soul to “Satan”. Blaze’s flesh is consumed by fire at night and when around evil. His head also turns into a fiery skull. He rides a flaming motorcycle. Later on, he finds out that his soul is bonded to a demon named “Zarathos”.Johnny Blaze first appeared in “Marvel Spotlight #5 (August 1972)”. (Wikipedia) Ghost Rider used to be a western gunfighter whose name was later changed to “Phantom Rider”.In “Ghost Rider” (2007), the Phantom Rider is played by Sam Elliott as a character named Carter Slade. This character first appeared in “Ghost Rider #1 (February 1967)”. (Wikipedia) They gave Johnny Blaze’s Motorcyclist character the name Ghost Rider as well.

“Ghost Rider” (2007)

“A motorcycle stuntman who sold his soul becomes a supernatural agent of vengeance.” (IMDb) Nicholas Cage stars in this film. There is a lot of action and cool stunts. This film was released when I was a kid. Mark Steven Johnson directed this film, he also wrote the screenplay for “Daredevil”. Nicholas Cage was also in “Adaptation” and “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent”. Eva Mendes, who is Ryan Gosling’s wife, was in Ghost Rider (2007) playing Roxanne Simpson. Nicholas Cage has a “Ghost Rider” tattoo, but he had to cover it up with make up for this role. “Nicolas Cage’s computer generated skull was made from a three dimensional x-ray taken of his actual skull.”(IMDb)

“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” (2011)

“Johnny Blaze, tortured by the Ghost Rider’s curse, gets a chance of redemption through protecting the Devil’s son, whose father is pursuing him.” (IMDb) This is another film about this character, starring Nicholas Cage as Johnny Blaze. Idris Elba was also in this film. He starred in “Beasts of no nation”. This one had two Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, they also wrote “Crank” and “Crank: High Voltage”. The driving scenes in this movie were neat. Danny was based on “Daniel Ketch”, who was the second “Ghost Rider” and the long lost brother of Johnny Blaze. “Christopher Lambert was required to wear makeup that depicted heavy tattoos covering his entire head. It took so long to take off that he decided to keep it on when he returned to his hotel each night.”(IMDb) It was a good sequel, but some marvel fans found it unnecessary.

“Ghost Rider” (2028)

This is a new MCU film starring Ryan Gosling. It was announced at San Diego Comic Con in 2026. “Follows Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stuntman who sold his soul and becomes a supernatural agent of vengeance.” (IMDb) This is Ryan Gosling’s first role in a superhero film. Shawn Levy, the director, is also making “Star Wars: Starfighter” (2027) starring Ryan Gosling. Gosling is from British Columbia and was also good in “The Place Beyond the Pines” and “La La Land”.

Stunts

The “Leap of Death”: There were stunts where Johnny Blaze jumped his motorcycle through obstacles before transforming into “Ghost Rider”. 

Real-World Stunt Fallout: There were stunts where motorcyclists had to do tricks while covered in flames. This led to lawsuits.

Comics

There have been multiple Ghost Riders in the past. Ghost Rider can turn into a skeleton covered in flame with super powers. His motorcycle can travel faster than any vehicle he can ride across vertical surfaces and leap across great distances.Ghost Rider is an anti hero from Marvel Comics. These started being made in the 1970’s. The main character is bonded with a “Spirit of vengeance”. They are covered in fire, drive motorcycles, and punish enemies. 

Enemies

He had enemies such as “the arch demon Mephisto” and his son Blackheart. He also fights other villains including Blackout and mystical forces like Zarathos and “Lilith, the mother of Demons”.

Other Media

Ghost Rider was inspired by the 1970s stunt rider Evil Knievel. In his career, “he attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps. Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.” (Wikipedia)

Stunt riders

“Ghost Rider” is based on stunt riders too. “Motorcycle stunt riding combines extreme athletic balance, machine mastery, and customized lightweight motorcycles to perform high-risk maneuvers like high-chair wheelies, stoppies, and circle drifts.” (Google) Examples of this are at the X-games and FMX or freestyle Motocross.

Overall I think Johnny Blaze/”Ghost Rider” is a neat character. The first two Ghost Rider films were awesome and I think the new one will be good too. He is a darker Marvel character that seems more like “The Punisher”, who also wears black and has a skull image. The new film is scheduled to be released in 2028. 

Citations

Marvel Studios Announces ‘Ghost Rider’ Film Starring Ryan Gosling | Marvel, www.marvel.com/articles/movies/marvel-studios-ghost-rider-ryan-gosling-comic-con-2026. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

“Ghost Rider.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Aug. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Rider.

IMDb: Ratings, Reviews, and Where to Watch the Best Movies & TV Shows, www.imdb.com/. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.